Self Publishing a Book for Almost Free

A post by writer Bill Holland (goes by billybuc on HubPages.com), How Hard Is It to Get Published in the Real World, started some lively comments and discussion on today's publishing possibilities for writers. The article inspired me to share my experience of self publishing a book and ebook... and how to do it for almost free using the Amazon Createspace platform, which has now been merged with Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP).

I remember the bad old days of self publishing: vanity presses, homemade print jobs, paying for advertising... Glad we now have so many resources to help get our message published to the world.

Here are several tips for saving aggravation, time and money when using this publishing platform:

Use Provided Word Templates, then Create Your Own. Download the free template for print books for Microsoft Word from Createspace. As of this writing, it is in an old MS Word 1997-2003 format which may cause some issues for those working with later versions of Word. Watch formatting of section breaks, page numbers and headers. If not correct, your final manuscript will experience problems such as skipped page numbers and headers appearing where they should not. Turn on the formatting view in Word to see where problems may be occurring with paragraph or section breaks. Also watch the headers and footers carefully when proofing, especially for page breaks, section breaks and page numbers. Those can be very trick at times! Once you've published your first book in this manner, and all the formatting works to your satisfaction, make a copy of that Word document and use it as a template for future books, simply copying and pasting your new text into your template document.

Use the Free KDP Tools to Create Your Cover. KDP has several cover layouts to choose from for your cover that will automatically be sized to accommodate the number of pages and trim size of your book. These are professionally designed and allow you to customize the colors, fonts, cover photos and text. Why would you want to go through the frustration of creating a super custom cover and getting it to print ready specs if KDP will do it for you... for free? Be careful with your back cover copy! On some layouts, the system will hyphenate words in the worst possible places. Carefully proof the cover and edit the text to work around the hyphenating if needed before you go final.

The Business of Being a Self Publisher

Many wannabe authors are shocked to find out that even if a mainstream publisher gives them a contract to write a book, they still have to do a lot of their own marketing to get copies sold. Other authors are shocked or frustrated when mainstream editors slice and dice their manuscripts or ask for never ending rewrites. That's the business of publishing.

Do not be disillusioned! Self publishing is a business, too! Books and other information products do not sell themselves.

Select Expanded Distribution Channels. During the KDP publishing process, the system will ask if you want Expanded Distribution in addition to the Standard Distribution on Amazon. Again, selecting Yes is recommended. This makes your books available to other online bookstores through the retail book buying channels, schools and libraries. The more places that can access your books, the more chances for you to makes sales.

Talk it Up! Use your social media and offline networks to get the word out about your book. Send email notices to your most supportive folks. They may not buy directly, but they may pass the word on to those who will.

Use Your Book as a Business Card. If you are writing a book to build your professional reputation, send information about it to your best prospects. Instant credibility! Also send it to local business groups who might want you to speak to their members about your book's topic. Because you can buy physical copies of the print book very cheaply through KDP, this can be a very effective sales tool.

Connect with Book Clubs. If your book is fiction, send information to book clubs and other organizations interested in the types of stories you're spinning. Tell them that you are available to discuss the book at a club meeting (in person or via online broadcast). Who knows? They might even choose your book as one of their club selections, which means more sales for you.

After reading this article, which of the following describes you?

The YouTube Video that Got Me Using Createspace

When I was searching for a self publishing platform to use, the following video showed up on a "Recommended for You" list I saw while watching a friend's video. After I viewed it, everything just clicked!

The video is a few years old and the information about Createspace has changed, especially since Createspace has now been merged into KDP. But the ideas about creating a book by recording your ideas, using books as lead generators, choosing a title and domain name are interesting ideas.

Though Mike in the video used a private individual for transcribing his audio, I have had great success using SpeechPad.com for audio transcription at very reasonable rates. Another popular service online is Rev.com.

Disclaimer: Any examples used are for illustrative purposes only and do not suggest affiliation or endorsement. The author/publisher has used best efforts in preparation of this article. No representations or warranties for its contents, either expressed or implied, are offered or allowed and all parties disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for your particular purpose. The advice, strategies and recommendations presented herein may not be suitable for you, your situation or business. Consult with a professional adviser where and when appropriate. The author/publisher shall not be liable for any loss of profit or any other damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages. So by reading and using this information, you accept this risk.

Questions & Answers

Questions must be on-topic, written with proper grammar usage, and understandable to a wide audience.

Question:

Can I just get Createspace to print the book? I sell my late BF’s other books on his website and Amazon marketplace. Amazon’s royalties are just too low.

Answer:

This may be possible. When you publish through Createspace, a Createspace sales page is created. You will make more money through that page and Amazon still conveniently handles the Print On Demand and fulfillment for you. You choose the marketplaces where you want to sell the book during the publishing process.

You can also purchase copies of the book in bulk at very reasonable prices.

I'd also suggest reaching out to the Createspace customer service folks to see if you can just print only without selling through them.

Comments

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AUTHOR

Heidi Thorne

2 weeks agofrom Chicago Area

Thanks, Raj, for stopping by and commenting! Have a great day!

Raj Lally Batala

2 weeks agofrom Chicago ,USA

Great info

AUTHOR

Heidi Thorne

3 weeks agofrom Chicago Area

Hi CrisSp! Glad you found it helpful. Good luck with your self publishing adventures and keep us posted on your work!

AUTHOR

Heidi Thorne

3 weeks agofrom Chicago Area

Hi Audrey! Createspace is, of course, now KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing). But the services are generally the same. Good luck with your book and keep us posted on your self publishing adventure!

CrisSp

3 weeks agofrom Sky Is The Limit Adventure

I am saving this page so I can go back and re-read and perhaps, push to self-publish.

Very helpful. Thank you for the free tutorial.

Audrey Hunt

3 weeks agofrom Idyllwild Ca.

Wow, Heidi! This information is so very helpful. I'm working on my first book about the singing voice (with Bill's help) so this is timely for me.

When the time is right, I'll check out Createspace. Thanks!

AUTHOR

Heidi Thorne

4 months agofrom Chicago Area

You're welcome, Lori! Have a terrific week!

Lori Colbo

4 months agofrom Pacific Northwest

Thanks so much Heidi.

AUTHOR

Heidi Thorne

4 months agofrom Chicago Area

Lori, I think Amazon's Createspace has one of the best payouts out there! Highly recommend based on my personal experience in terms of ease of use and earning potential, especially for print. Plus, you can use it for just about free if you have the ability to format your own book.

Thanks for stopping by and keep us posted on your self publishing adventures!

Lori Colbo

4 months agofrom Pacific Northwest

Hi Heidi, you say going through CreateSpace one's book will get an Amazon page and that the royalties earned are there are the best. Do you find Amazon's percentage share is the most reasonable out there?

AUTHOR

Heidi Thorne

9 months agofrom Chicago Area

Hi Shirley! Glad you found it helpful. Thank you for stopping by and good luck with your self publishing adventures!

Shirley Urso-Farmer

9 months agofrom Michigan

Great article, thanks for the straight-forward answers I was looking for :)

AUTHOR

Heidi Thorne

9 months agofrom Chicago Area

Hi Karen! Glad you found it helpful. Good luck with your self publishing adventures. Thanks for stopping by and have a great week!

Karen Hellier

9 months agofrom Georgia

Thanks for this information, Heidi. I am glad to see you have updated it recently. I have been contemplating writing a book and was leaning toward Create Space so this article is timely for me.

AUTHOR

Heidi Thorne

11 months agofrom Chicago Area

Tommy, your comment and message inspired me to write a post here on HP on stalled book projects. Happens to all of us! Check it out. It's titled, "What to Do If Your Book Writing is Stalled." Thanks for the inspiration!

AUTHOR

Heidi Thorne

12 months agofrom Chicago Area

Tommy, thanks for connecting about challenges in finishing your book. I have some thoughts that could help you and others who are facing a similar situation. Stay tuned for a new article on that sometime in the next week!

AUTHOR

Heidi Thorne

12 months agofrom Chicago Area

If you're curious about self publishing an audio book, I just published a post on that titled, "How to Create an Audio Book." Check it out!

AUTHOR

Heidi Thorne

12 months agofrom Chicago Area

Hi Tommy! Are you talking about creating an audio book from your text-based eBook? If so, that's an entirely different subject. In fact, you may have inspired another blog post just to address those audio book issues. Thanks for stopping by and the inspiration!

Tommy Wakefield

12 months ago

Sorry, lol. What program would you suggest for ebook recording? Can you use text-to speech program? My biggest problem, I can't seem to write an outline/timeline of the story. Everything is on the fly. I lose interest after a few lines.

AUTHOR

Heidi Thorne

12 months agofrom Chicago Area

Tommy, good things take time! :) Good you have some encouragement. All the best as you work on finishing your book!

Tommy Wakefield

12 months ago

Thanks for the info. The only I reason I stared searching for publishing is my wife is nagging me about publishing my book I started back in 1984.

AUTHOR

Heidi Thorne

13 months agofrom Chicago Area

Thanks, Billie, for the kind comments! Glad you found it helpful. Have a lovely day!

Billie Raucci

13 months agofrom Illinois

A great article filled with awesome advice. Thanks.

AUTHOR

Heidi Thorne

13 months agofrom Chicago Area

Hi Larry! True, self publishing is the future in my opinion, thanks to all the great services now available. Glad you've found a platform that works for you. Thanks for sharing your experience! Have a great day!

Larry W Fish

13 months agofrom Raleigh

A great article! Self-publishing is the way that so many writiers take anymore because it is much easier to get your book published. I have had 4 books published. The first one I was inexperienced and paid much more than I should have. I now publish with e-BookTime. Only $395 for paperback and ebook.

AUTHOR

Heidi Thorne

14 months agofrom Chicago Area

Athlyn, Kindle/KDP is WAY easier than Createspace. Print books can be quite an adventure. So be patient with your project and keep trying. Once you get it all set up in Createspace, the printed product is really good quality. Keep us posted on your self publishing adventures! Have a great day!

Athlyn Green

14 months agofrom West Kootenays

I found Kindle much easier than CreateSpace and hope Amazon has updated their information there.

I will be returning to your articles for pointers when I want to create print books.

I see you have other articles that I will def want to read, too.

Good info and tips for self-publishers.

AUTHOR

Heidi Thorne

2 years agofrom Chicago Area

Hi Dreamlin! Glad you found the info helpful. Good luck with your new novel and Happy Holidays!

Dreamlin

2 years agofrom New Jersey, USA

Hi Heidi,

I'm just about to self-publish my first YA Fantasy Adventure novel next month. Your tips are very useful. The information saves me lots of headache. Thank you very much.

AUTHOR

Heidi Thorne

2 years agofrom Chicago Area

Hi MsDora! Glad you found the tips helpful. Thanks for your kind comments and have a Happy Thanksgiving Weekend!

Dora Weithers

2 years agofrom The Caribbean

I'm late, but I am bookmarking this valuable article. Thank you so much for the information and the video which I intend to watch later this evening.

AUTHOR

Heidi Thorne

3 years agofrom Chicago Area

You're welcome, the rawspirit! Glad you discovered the hub and how Createspace can help you with your publishing adventures. Have a beautiful weekend!

Wow.... You are amazing.I can't tell you how much this hub has helped me. Thank you, Heidi.

Voting up... Way up

AUTHOR

Heidi Thorne

3 years agofrom Chicago Area

Hi Pjgermain! Glad you found it helpful. Createspace is an awesome platform. Keep up posted on your publishing adventures!

Kristen Howe

3 years agofrom Northeast Ohio

Hi Heidi. You're very welcome. Self-publishing is a last resort for me, if all else fails with my traditional publishing routine with a hopeful agent. You too!

AUTHOR

Heidi Thorne

3 years agofrom Chicago Area

Hi Kristen! Glad you found it helpful. We'll look forward to hearing about your self publishing adventures. Thanks for stopping and have a great weekend!

Kristen Howe

3 years agofrom Northeast Ohio

Heidi, this was an awesome hub with interesting tips on how to get started, if you want to go that method. Very incentive for us fellow hubbers and writers. Voted up!

AUTHOR

Heidi Thorne

3 years agofrom Chicago Area

Hi tiffanyrose2015! Glad you found it helpful. Thanks for stopping by and have a great week ahead!

tiffanyrose2015

3 years ago

Very useful information, thank you!

AUTHOR

Heidi Thorne

3 years agofrom Chicago Area

Hi Blackspaniel1! Indeed, if a book is image-intensive, Createspace and a physical book is usually the better choice. I've also appreciated that Createspace assigns the ISBN number; save an extra step and hassle. I, too, keep a copy for myself... just because. :) Thanks so much for stopping by, the additional insight and for connecting here on HP! Have a wonderful day!

Blackspaniel1

3 years ago

I like Create Space. First, it is easier if the book has images than Kindle, and you can publish in both, but do publish in Create Space first. They assign an ISBN number, Kindle does not. In my case the only money would be the copyright, inexpensive, and a copy to proofread at the author price, which you can later sell if you do not, as most people would, keep a copy for yourself.

AUTHOR

Heidi Thorne

3 years agofrom Chicago Area

Peggy, thank you so much for sharing this with your tribe! Appreciate your support and glad you found it helpful. Have a lovely day!

Peggy Woods

3 years agofrom Houston, Texas

Very informative article about self publishing books for little cost. I have several friends who may be interested so will forward this to them. Pinning to my Do You Know This? board and will also share with my HP followers.

AUTHOR

Heidi Thorne

3 years agofrom Chicago Area

Thanks for checking in again, B.Leekley!

The duplicate content issue is actually two issues.

First of all, a "self publishing platform" such as Createspace, Xlibris, etc. is NOT the same as an online writing site like HP. Self publishing platforms are for the creation and sale of true books (print or electronic), not search indexed articles.

I will also say that is not unusual for bloggers to compile or include their own articles and posts into book form. However, it does depend on the rules for the site on which it was originally posted. So you need to check that out and contact that site's support team to verify what is allowed and what rights you have given up to post there. But I'm also going to defer to our HP friend, billybuc, who has some additional insight into the issue in two posts from his Writer's Mailbag series here on HP: https://hubpages.com/literature/The-Writers-Mailba... (see segment on "Duplications") and https://hubpages.com/literature/The-Writers-Mailba... (see segment on Poetry books). And here's HP's FAQ on ownership: https://hubpages.com/faq/#whoownscontent

And I hear ya on the software issue. We've all clung to various versions of our favorite software either due to lack of PC power or not wanting to learn how to use ANOTHER software program update.

Hope that helps. Good luck with your self publishing adventure!

Brian Leekley

3 years agofrom Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA

Thanks, heidithorne, for your helpful answers to my questions. I hope it is OK to ask one more. If a website is a free self-publishing platform and if it has a no duplicate content rule, must I delete a post from that site before I can include it, intact with no change of wording, in an ebook and/or in a print on demand paperback book?

Months ago I wrote the hub "Customer Review of Nuance Dragon Naturally Speaking Voice Recognition Software". I am still happily using version 12 because my computer is not powerful enough for version 13.

AUTHOR

Heidi Thorne

3 years agofrom Chicago Area

Hi B. Leekley!

I don't think Amazon Createspace has Open Office Writer templates, but they do have them for MS Word. But I think Open can read and save MS word docs, right?

Createspace can create both a print and ebook for Kindle. However, if you're just looking to do an ebook to sell on Amazon, then you'll want to go direct to Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). Remember that you are only getting paid royalties by publishing with KDP (they need to be paid for hosting your book!). If you want to sell it on your own, you'll keep all the sales, but you'll have to set up and manage the entire sales process. That can be challenging.

$0.25 is an unusual price on KDP or anywhere for that matter. Many of the books on KDP are offered for $0.99, $1.99 or $2.99. I think $0.99 is the minimum on KDP. Also, if you sell it on your own, the payment platform you choose may have a minimum amount they are willing to process and will charge a fee for processing; $0.25 may not cover it.

You can try the voice-to-text software to get your ideas out of your head and onto your PC. Be aware, though, that you'll have to really be careful and read what is transcribed. While they have an amazing level of recognition, words such as homonyms can be incorrectly transcribed. But it's better than typing if that's an issue.

Thanks for asking some great questions that I'm sure lots of our hubber friends are asking, too. (You might have even inspired another hub for me!) Keep us posted on your publishing adventures and have a great day!

Brian Leekley

3 years agofrom Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA

Does Amazon Createspace have Open Office Writer templates?

I'm daydreaming about making a booklet from a selection of my online posts -- a one year journal of experiences and reflections. Would Createspace let me create it as only an ebook? Would that be a sensible choice?

The price that comes to mind is 25c. Does that sound okay or too low or too high re getting readers?

Re dictating an audio recording of a book and paying to get that transcribed, could the transcribing be skipped by using a voice recognition program like Nuance Dragon NaturallySpeaking or like Google Voice Recognition?

AUTHOR

Heidi Thorne

3 years agofrom Chicago Area

Hi DDE! Thanks for your comments and connecting. I'll email you. Have a great weekend!

Devika Primić

3 years agofrom Dubrovnik, Croatia

Informative and very interesting about your books I had a look and would like to exchange reviews, please. My email dprimc@gmail.com

AUTHOR

Heidi Thorne

3 years agofrom Chicago Area

Happy New Year Ron! That thinking-about-it stage can take a while. Better to think it through now than have to change it all later. Keep us posted on your publishing adventures!

Ronald E Franklin

3 years agofrom Mechanicsburg, PA

Thanks for sharing your experience, Heidi. I'm just at the thinking-about-it stage in terms of publishing a book, and this kind of info is both informative and inspirational.

AUTHOR

Heidi Thorne

3 years agofrom Chicago Area

Hi Pawpawwrites! Glad you found this hub useful. When you do head down the self publishing route, do check out the Amazon Createspace platform. Keep us posted on your publishing adventures! Happy Weekend!

Jim

3 years agofrom Kansas

I found this information to be helpful. I'm getting close to self publishing, but still have a little work to do.

Great information. I've a book of poems I'm contemplating publishing. I should seriously look into this. Thanks for sharing.

AUTHOR

Heidi Thorne

3 years agofrom Chicago Area

Hi Joyette! Glad to see you've also found Createspace to be helpful. It completely changed my publishing opportunities. Thanks so much for stopping by and have a great week!

Joyette Fabien

3 years agofrom Dominica

heidithorne, I just want to endorse all that you have said. I have used Createspace publishing and I think it absolutely fantastic that a total novice can use the DIY guidelines and end up with a superior quality paperback or eBook.

You have taken us through the steps beautifully. Great hub!

AUTHOR

Heidi Thorne

4 years agofrom Chicago Area

Hi favored! Glad you found the info helpful. I've found the Amazon Createspace platform to be very easy to use. Good luck with your publishing adventures!

Fay Favored

4 years agofrom USA

Heidi this is so great. I'm glad I found your site for this. Giving it another look-see and saving this for hubby to view. So appreciative!

AUTHOR

Heidi Thorne

4 years agofrom Chicago Area

Hi Trisha Roberts! Glad you found the information helpful. Keep us posted on your publishing adventures!

Trisha Roberts

4 years agofrom Rensselaer, New York

Absolutely great information and thank you so much for sharing. I definitely need to keep this hub for when I am ready to bring myself up into self publishing!

AUTHOR

Heidi Thorne

4 years agofrom Chicago Area

Hi DealForALiving! Now that we have all these fabulous publishing tools at our disposal, realizing our dreams of writing a book is much more possible. Glad you found the information helpful. Keep us posted on your publishing adventures!

Sam Deal

4 years agofrom Earth

One of my long-term goals is to write a book, so I'll file this hub away for another time. So glad to have found this~

AUTHOR

Heidi Thorne

4 years agofrom Chicago Area

Hi mdscoggins! I certainly have enjoyed using the Amazon Createspace/KDP platform. Do check it out and good luck with your publishing adventures!

Michelle Scoggins

4 years agofrom Fresno, CA

Thank Heidi for the information. Currently, I am looking at my options for publishing and as you explained it does not seem so scary or difficult.

AUTHOR

Heidi Thorne

4 years agofrom Chicago Area

Hi Chef-de-jour! Glad you found the information helpful. Thanks for stopping by and best of luck with your own self-publishing adventures!

AUTHOR

Heidi Thorne

4 years agofrom Chicago Area

Hi AudreyHowitt! It's worth looking into! Amazon Createspace/KDP for Kindle can be very cost-effective. Good luck with your publishing adventures!

Andrew Spacey

4 years agofrom Near Huddersfield, West Yorkshire,UK

I will bookmark this hub. Thank you for sharing such useful information for would be self publishers. Well done with your own publications.

Audrey Howitt

4 years agofrom California

I want to publish a small poetry book--maybe I can do this on Amazon! Thank you!

AUTHOR

Heidi Thorne

4 years agofrom Chicago Area

Hello Torrs13! So glad you found it helpful. Createspace is an amazing platform. Good luck and keep us posted on your publishing adventures!

AUTHOR

Heidi Thorne

4 years agofrom Chicago Area

Glad you found it useful, ologsinquito! Thank you so much for your support and sharing. Have a beautiful day!

Tori Canonge

4 years agofrom North Carolina

Thank you so much for posting this informative hub! I have been tossing the idea of writing a book around but wasn't sure how to go about making it and publishing it. This hub is just what I needed!

ologsinquito

4 years agofrom USA

Heidi, this is excellent information. Voted up and shared.

AUTHOR

Heidi Thorne

4 years agofrom Chicago Area

Hi Mel Carriere! Glad you were able to discover Createspace here! It is a really wonderful platform. All the best with your self publishing adventures and have a great weekend!

Mel Carriere

4 years agofrom San Diego California

I had never heard of Create Space prior to this. As usual I learn something exploring other writer's hubs here. This was a very useful article and I thank you very much. I'm going to bookmark it.

AUTHOR

Heidi Thorne

4 years agofrom Chicago Area

Thanks, grand old lady! Glad you found it helpful. Yes, our friend billybuc and I have similar goals in trying to help people (especially writers) get their information out there. Appreciate the sharing and support! Have a beautiful weekend!

Mona Sabalones Gonzalez

4 years agofrom Philippines

This is wonderful and helpful information, very complementary to the kind of pieces that Bill Holland writes. I've added this to my Pinterest account.

AUTHOR

Heidi Thorne

4 years agofrom Chicago Area

Hello, markcrosby! Glad you found the article and that you're considering self-publishing. Keep us posted on your publishing adventures!

markcrosby

4 years agofrom United States

Thank you for posting this article! I am interested in self-publishing.

AUTHOR

Heidi Thorne

4 years agofrom Chicago Area

Totally agree, blueheron, that Createspace is an awesome way to get print editions of short run or personal subject books. One of the greatest things about them is that you can have as many or few distribution channels as you want... and it's all under the author/publisher control. Thanks for stopping by and commenting! Have a great day!

Sharon Vile

4 years agofrom Odessa, MO

Yes, I think Createspace is a great option for self-publishing! Honestly, if you have children or grandchildren who like to write stories, why not use Createspace to create their very own printed book? This is a good way to create a cookbook of family recipes to share, too.

AUTHOR

Heidi Thorne

4 years agofrom Chicago Area

Hello ologsinquito! Thanks for your kind comments, voting and sharing. Have a great day!

ologsinquito

4 years agofrom USA

This is excellent information. Voted up and shared.

AUTHOR

Heidi Thorne

4 years agofrom Chicago Area

Hello grand old lady! I feel the same way about Createspace. It has been such an amazing tool for me. Keep us posted on your publishing adventures!

Mona Sabalones Gonzalez

4 years agofrom Philippines

Thanks for teaching me about Createspace. This is very helpful indeed. This may be the first software I will fall genuinely in love with.

AUTHOR

Heidi Thorne

4 years agofrom Chicago Area

Hello alexadry! You have such great information to share. I do hope you consider doing a book one day. Keep us posted on your publishing adventures and have a great week ahead!

Adrienne Janet Farricelli

4 years agofrom USA

Very useful hub. I have been planning writing a book for some time, but have been discouraged by the process and little time on hand. Voted up!

AUTHOR

Heidi Thorne

4 years agofrom Chicago Area

Thanks, kerlund74, for reading! Glad you found it helpful!

kerlund74

4 years agofrom Sweden

Thank you, voted useful! This is a great hub with useful help:)

AUTHOR

Heidi Thorne

4 years agofrom Chicago Area

Thanks, justmesuzanne, for reading! Agreed, we're living in a great time to be writers. Have a wonderful day!

justmesuzanne

4 years agofrom Texas

Excellent practical advice! It's great that it is so easy to publish these days! Voted up, useful and interesting! :)

AUTHOR

Heidi Thorne

4 years agofrom Chicago Area

Hi Faith Reaper! There are some great self-publishing platforms out there, but Createspace has been getting better and better over time. It's also very reasonably cost-wise. Do check it out and keep us informed about your publishing adventures!

Faith Reaper

4 years agofrom southern USA

Great article, very helpful! I may just look into Createspace. Thank you for providing all of this insight and great information.

Up and more and sharing.

Have a great weekend,

Faith Reaper

AUTHOR

Heidi Thorne

4 years agofrom Chicago Area

Hello cygnetbrown! Yes, I have heard of others who use Lulu.com and like it. It also is a great system to consider. My husband and a disabled friend of mine have found the Dragon software to be very valuable in getting thoughts on paper. Keep us in the loop on your self-publishing adventures!

Cygnet Brown

4 years agofrom Springfield, Missouri

Great article! Lulu.com is another site (the one that I use) to create your own book for free. I have been looking at using Dragon software to help me increase writing productivity as well. Its wonderful that we can share with others what we have learned so that all of us can become more productive! Maybe we can actually make a living doing this!

AUTHOR

Heidi Thorne

4 years agofrom Chicago Area

Hello Eiddwen! Glad you found it interesting. If you decide to self-publish, please keep your HubPages friends posted. Cheers!

Eiddwen

4 years agofrom Wales

Most definitely one for me Heidi and thank you for sharing. Very interesting and well informed.

Enjoy your day.

Eddy.

AUTHOR

Heidi Thorne

4 years agofrom Chicago Area

Hi stuff4kids! Glad you found it helpful. Probably the biggest cost for you will be getting an attorney to review for the legal aspects of home education you include. Otherwise, it's really inexpensive to go the self-publishing route and you keep control over the book. Keep us posted on your publishing adventures!

Amanda Littlejohn

4 years ago

That was a very interesting, informative and useful hub indeed.

Just recently, I have begun to mull over the idea of self-publishing a book about home education - a kind of synthesis of practical and legal advice and personal stories and reflections.

I have to write the book first, of course, but this hub has helped me consolidate the idea and see it as a practical possibility.

Thank you. :)

AUTHOR

Heidi Thorne

4 years agofrom Chicago Area

Hello Ben! Glad you found it useful. Keep us posted on your publishing adventures!

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